Inauguration 2009,a once
ByDEBORAHA.MILES
January20willgodowninhistoryas
thedaywhennearlytwomillionpeople
peacefullygatheredinWashingtonto
witnesstheinaugurationofBarack
Obamaasthe44thpresidentofthe
UnitedStates.
Thenewpresidentenergizedthe
crowdthatstretchedfromtheCapitolto
theWashingtonmonumentwitha
speechdesignedtomakeAmericans
thinkabouttheproblemsfacingthe
country,andinspiringthemtobecome
partofthesolution.
“Forasmuchasgovernmentcando
andmustdo,itisultimately
thefaithanddetermination
oftheAmericanpeopleupon
whichthisnationrelies,”
Obamasaid.
“Whatisrequiredofusnow
isaneweraofresponsibility,a
recognitiononthepartofevery
KingsboroPsychiatricCenterin humanquilt.Iwaswoventopeopleof
American,thatwehaveduties
Brooklyn,stoodshoulder-to- variousnationalitiesandethnic
toourselves,ournation,and
shoulderwithpeoplefromall backgrounds.Everyonetherewasjust
theworld.Dutiesthatwedo
overtheworldatthe happy.Youcouldfeelloveinthecrowd.”
notgrudginglyaccept,but
inauguration.Shewasjustone FrancissaidObama’sspeechstruck
ratherseizegladly,firminthe
ofthedozensofPEFmembers home,especiallyduringatimewhen
knowledgethatthereisnothing
whotraveledtobeapartof doomandgloomfromtheprevious
sosatisfyingtothespirit,so
history,towitnesstheinaugurationof administrationleftthecountrycraving
definingofourcharacter,thangiving
thefirstAfricanAmericanpresident,and changeandhope.
ouralltoadifficult
applaudamanPEFsupportedinthe “Whatisgoingonnowinthecountry
task.”
presidential andtheworldaffectseveryone,”Francis
GladysFrancis,
campaign. said.“Wehavetoembracethepresident’s
aPEFExecutive
“Itwasaonce-in- messageandmakesacrifices.Wehaveto
Boardmember
a-lifetime bepreparedtogivealittlemoreofour
whoworksas
experience,”Francis timetoourcommunityandourcountry.
asocialworker
said.“IfeltIwas “IfIhadtosumupmyexperience
assistantat
partofa beingthere,itisthatIfeelsoblessedto
beborninAmerica.”
BestPEFtripever
ConnieBatts,anunderwriteratthe
stateInsuranceFundinMelville,said,
”I’vebeenamemberofPEFsinceits
inceptionandhavebeenveryhappyand
proudtobeamember.Theunion
supportedmeinbeingastewardand
helpedmeresolveproblemsmanyco-
workersfaced.ButthereisnothingthatI
ammoregratefulforthanthe
opportunitytoparticipateinthis
TOGETHERINDC—
inauguration.Itwasabsolutely
CarlyleJohn,QaiserKahn,
phenomenal.”
HannahPhillipsandPEFRegion
Battsandabout50othermembers
12CoordinatorDeeDodson
fromPEFRegions11and12tookbuses
enjoytheinau
—
gu
P
r
h
a
o
tion.
totheevent.
Page8—TheCommunicatorMarch2009
to by Bill Pike
PEFInformationLine:1-800-553-2445
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